DETROIT: DETROIT (AP) - When Justin Verlander takes the mound for Detroit on opening day, maybe then the Tigers will be able to enjoy a much-needed sense of normalcy.
As an offseason of drama gave way to spring training injuries, it was easy to forget the Tigers still have one of the most talented rosters in baseball. Sure, there have been some early problems for new manager Brad Ausmus to address, Detroit still figures to be the favorite to win its fourth consecutive AL Central title.
''We have a new look this year,'' outfielder Torii Hunter said. ''Little bit more speed and we'll miss the big man, but we'll score some runs.''
The ''big man'' is Prince Fielder, whom the Tigers traded to Texas in a blockbuster deal that brought second baseman Ian Kinsler to Detroit. That move gave the Tigers more financial flexibility, although they weren't all that aggressive in pursuing free agents. Detroit did sign Joe Nathan to replace departed closer Joaquin Benoit.
The Tigers also traded right-hander Doug Fister to Washington.
Lately, the focus has been on right-hander Max Scherzer, who enters his final season before free agency after winning the Cy Young Award in 2013. Negotiations with the Tigers on a long-term deal have stalled.
''They respect where I'm at. I respect where they're at, and we'll revisit this after the season,'' Scherzer said. ''I still want to be in Detroit. I love this clubhouse and everything about it. There's been a history of this team signing free agents so hopefully I'll be a part of that history as well.''
But right now Scherzer's future is uncertain, and with Hunter and Victor Martinez in the final season of their contracts, it's hard to say what Detroit's 2015 roster will look like.
So the Tigers may never have a better chance to win a World Series with this group than right now.

CHI WHITE SOX: CHICAGO (AP) - From rock bottom last season to contention this year? The Chicago White Sox see no reason why it can't happen.
They're ready to put last season's 99-loss wreck behind them and make a jump at least back to respectability, if not a run at the AL Central title.
They see a team with solid pitching, a new slugger in Jose Abreu and renewed vigor. Now, all they have to do is back it up.
''You have to pitch, you have to hit, you have to score,'' said manager Robin Ventura, entering his third season. ''You have to play defense. You have to do all of them in our division. Detroit has won it the last few years. They have a combination of everything. Unless you do that, you're not going to be close. We proved that last year.''
They had the pitching part down last season. The rest? Well, that's where things got dicey.

While his stats weren't overly impressive, Justin Verlander earned the win in his return to the mound last weekend.

He'll try to build on that result Friday night as the Detroit Tigers open a four-game road series against the Chicago White Sox.

After missing one start due to soreness in his shoulder, Verlander (11-11, 4.82 ERA) returned to win 8-6 in Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader at Minnesota. The right-hander yielded four runs, eight hits and three walks over 5 1-3 innings while striking out six.

"His arm action looked much freer than it did, much easier than it did (in his previous outing Aug. 11)," manager Brad Ausmus told MLB's official website. "I think his fastball had more life."

Six of Verlander's last seven starts have come on the road, where he is 6-6 with a 5.13 ERA. The six-time All-Star is 0-2 with a 6.27 ERA in his last three outings in Chicago after giving up seven runs over 5 2-3 innings in an 8-2 defeat June 11.

Jose Abreu is 4 for 9 with two homers when facing Verlander, while Alexei Ramirez and Dayan Viciedo are a combined 13 for 31 against him since the start of last year.

The Tigers (72-60) have won four of five after taking two of three from the Yankees with a 3-2 walkoff win Thursday.

Alex Avila delivered an RBI single with two outs in the ninth for Detroit, which climbed within 1 1/2 games of the AL Central lead following Kansas City's loss to Minnesota later in the day.

"Momentum shifts are big in the game of baseball," Ausmus said after Phil Coke nearly served up a three-run homer in the top of the ninth. "It's not something you can put a statistic on. It's not very tangible. (But) the emotion in a singular game or over the course of a game can be important."

The Tigers would likely be in better position if not for splitting 12 meetings against the White Sox this year after going 37-18 over the previous three seasons.

Chicago (60-73) is coming off its eighth loss in nine games, 3-2 to Cleveland on Thursday. The White Sox have been outscored 46-27 while hitting .217 during the funk.

"It's never easy to be near the bottom of the division," losing pitcher John Danks said. "But guys are playing hard. It's not from a lack of effort or a lack of care. It's just we're not winning, not playing well enough. We're going to play every game to win it for 162, and we wish it was more."

Rookie Scott Carroll (5-8, 5.05) is looking to get on track after going 1-2 with a 7.61 ERA in four starts this month. The right-hander was tagged for five runs over six innings in Saturday's 5-3 loss at Yankee Stadium.

Opponents are hitting .367 against Carroll in his last four home starts, during which he's allowed 21 runs over 23 2-3 innings. This marks his first appearance against the Tigers.

Miguel Cabrera is batting .396 with two homers and nine RBIs during an 11-game hitting streak against the White Sox. Victor Martinez has hit safely in 17 of his last 18 in Chicago, batting .397 with five homers and 16 RBIs.

Martinez is hitting .382 with three homers and 17 RBIs in his last 15 overall.

Abreu is batting .383 with five homers, seven doubles and 11 RBIs against the Tigers.